#theramblingsofronald

The words “mass” and “more” were one of the first word pairings given to me by one of the medical assistants (aka MAs) at the urgent care I began to work at in early November.

I used to call what I did my way of storytelling in that I can take any two words given to be by someone and connect them to a singular word.

It was either the first or second week of working there in which I had some downtime from the tests and ventured to the front office where I asked MA H— to tell me two words. He responded with “mass” and “more.” I wrote those words on a sticky note, and walked away to write the connections between the words.

When I think of the word “mass,” the science person in me recalls basic physics in which a thing has a certain mass measurement, usually in grams. Mass determines if something has a physical presence. The spiritual part of me remembers church and participating in Sunday mass. I actually have St. Dominic Church of Eagle Rock tattooed on my right forearm. I am reminded of the memories of attending mass throughout my youth and being surrounded by people. The people present are what made mass at church enjoyable during those years.

When I think of the word “more,” I remember when I was a part of a service organization during my university days. The name of the group of men acting genuinely in service was “MAGIS Service Organization.” Magis is an Ignatian spirituality concept that calls individuals to be more and to be better in which magis is actually a Latin word for “more.” The collector part of me thinks about having more stuff in quantity, value, and meaning. Putting significance on material possessions may be silly, but I want more stuff in order to share with others or at least have the opportunity available to me.

What’s the one word that truly connects the two words of “mass” and “more” together? Community.

A church that gathers for mass can be labeled as a community. The sharing of beliefs between people can lead to the formation of communities. Communities have significance in the hearts, minds, and souls of people. The more one feels a connection with others, the more value and meaning one can attach to others.